News Phosphate monitor CBS
Dairy farming remains well below phosphate ceiling
Phosphate production in Dutch dairy farming remains well below the sector ceiling, according to Statistics Netherlands' phosphate monitor for the third quarter.
Based on the first 3 quarters of the year, the dairy farming sector has a forecast phosphate production of 78,7 million kilos. This means that phosphate production this year will probably remain well below the sector ceiling of 84,9 million kilos.
Forecast lowered
Moreover, the forecast has been clearly revised downwards, because 1 quarter earlier, Statistics Netherlands had assumed a production of 80,7 million kilos of phosphate.
The lower phosphate production is related to the decrease in the number of dairy cows. In the third quarter, the Netherlands had approximately 1,55 million dairy cows, a decrease of 67.000 animals compared to the size of the livestock at the end of 2017. Statistics Netherlands bases the count on the current numbers according to the Identification and Registration System (I&R).
Also under nitrogen ceiling
Due to the decrease in the number of dairy cows, nitrogen production also decreases. Statistics Netherlands expects this production to amount to 279,4 million kilos and will therefore remain below the sector ceiling of 281,8 million kilos. In the previous two quarters, the nitrogen ceiling was expected to be exceeded.
Despite the lower forecast for phosphate and nitrogen production, Statistics Netherlands is still holding out for the fourth quarter. Due to the drought this summer, it is not known what this will do to the levels in the roughage.
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Wouter Job
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